Is Farming Challenging in 2026? — A UK-focused analysis
Farming in the UK in 2026 is facing a squeeze from multiple directions — volatile weather, rising and unpredictable input costs, changing government support and tax rules, labor shortages and migration policy shifts, market consolidation and concentrated buyer power, plus longer-term pressures from net-zero and environmental regulation. Those pressures vary by region and farm type, and some farms are finding ways to adapt and even prosper, but many are operating with razor-thin margins and rising anxiety about the next season.